[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement for the processing of a tubular material
web by means of sealing jaws arranged on both sides of the web and cooperating in
pairs, which can be given a reciprocating movement on the one hand in the longitudinal
direction of the material web and on the other hand in the transverse direction of
the material web, whereby one pair of the jaws is suspended in a yoke which is drivingly
connected to a first rod axially movable in the longitudinal direction of the material
web, said first rod being mounted for axial movement and connected to a driving arrangement
in the frame, whereby a second rod, which is parallel to said first rod and axially
movable in relation to the yoke is drivingly connected to the sealing jaws via a linkage
and arranged to drive the jaws in the transverse direction, as known from US-A 3 449
888.
[0002] Packing machines for the manufacture of non-returnable packages for milk or other
liquid contents are known. The packing material in general consists of a flexible
laminate which comprises layers of paper and thermoplastics and which is supplied
to the packing machine in form of a web.
[0003] The packing laminate is converted in the packing machine in the first place to a
hose or tube in that the longitudinal edges of the laminate web are sealed to one
another in a liquid-tight longitudinal join. The laminate tube thus formed is filled
with the desired contents whilst it is moved in the main continuously downwards through
the packing machine. Thereafter the tube is sealed in narrow transverse zone, with
simultaneous forcing out of the contents, with the help of co-operating sealing jaws
which are moved towards each other from opposite sides of the tube, as a result of
which the latter is pressed together and the inner thermoplastic layers located opposite
each other are made to fuse together through the simultaneous supply of heat. The
process takes place continuously with the help of two pairs of sealing jaws which
alternately process the tube during a simultaneous downward movement and release the
tube during an upward return movement. After sealing together and the consequent division
of the material tube into individual, closed containers, the containers are separated
from one another by cuts in the compressed and sealed zones (US-A 3 449 888).
[0004] In conjunction with the transverse sealing of the tube a certain reshaping of the
tube is performed in the sense that it is converted from its original, substantially
circular cross-sectional shape to a more rectangular cross-sectional shape. This is
done with the help of forming jaws connected with the sealing jaws which compress
the tube from two sides so that it obtains the desired shape. After separation of
the individual, filled and sealed packing containers from each other, a further form-processing
is usually taking place, so that they acquire a desired final shape, e.g. parallelepipedic.
[0005] In this known type of packing machine the movement of the sealing jaws is guided
with the help of several cams which are arranged in succession on a driving shaft
located inside the frame of the machine, this driving shaft in turn being connected
to an electric driving motor. A number of different cams situated on the driving shaft
are connected by means of a linkage and lever system with the jaws so that these can
be given a reciprocating movement in accordance with a given pattern of movement.
With the help of different cams the jaws are thus moved, on the one hand upwards and
downwards in vertical direction along the longitudinal axis of the tube, and, on the
other hand transversely in an opening and closing movement synchronized with the vertical
movement, as a result of which, during the downward movement, the jaws are closed
and thus press together and advance the material tube, whereas the upwards-directed
return movement of the jaws takes place with the jaws in the open, folded out position.
The movement of the jaws in vertical direction is guided by means of fixed guide bars
and the different driving movements are transferred with the help of complicated linkages,
which make necessary a relatively large free space along the path of movement of the
jaws. Beside this large space the guiding and driving system also requires accurate
adjustment in order to function correctly. However, owing to wear, which inevitably
arises after a certain period of operation, the inaccuracy of the driving arrangement
increases again, and can be counteracted only be renewed adjustment and regular service.
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for the processing
of a tubular material web, this arrangement not being affected by the disadvantages
present in similar, previously known arrangements.
[0007] It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for the
processing of a tubular material web, this arrangement being of a compact design and
including as few movable parts as possible.
[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the
abovementioned type which during operation subjects the driving and guiding elements
to minimum loads and which works with great accuracy even after long periods of operation.
[0009] These and other objects have been achieved in accordance with the invention in that
an arrangement for the processing of a tubular material web by means of sealing jaws
arranged on both sides of the web and cooperating in pairs, which can be given a reciprocating
movement on the one hand in the longitudinal direction of the material web and on
the other hand in the transverse direction of the material web, whereby one pair of
the jaws is suspended in a yoke which is drivingly connected to a first rod axially
movable in the longitudinal direction of the material web, said first rod being mounted
for axial movement and connected to a driving arrangement in the frame, whereby a
second rod, which is parallel to said first rod and axially movable in relation to
the yoke is drivingly connected to the sealing jaws via a linkage and arranged to
drive the jaws in the transverse direction is given the characteristic that the driving
arrangement for imparting the axial movements to said first and second rods comprises:
a first and a second cam mounted on a common drive shaft; a first arm arranged above
the first cam and a second arm arranged below the second arm, each arm being mounted
at one end about a respective pivot axis and at the other end being connected to the
respective first and second rods; a cam roller on each arm resting against the respective
cams; and a flexible element connected by one of its extremities to one arm and movably
connected over a projection on the other arm, and connected by its other extremity
to one end of a spring, said element being adapted to press the two arms toward one
another so that the cam rollers rest continuously against their respective cams.
[0010] Preferred embodiments of the arrangement in accordance with the invention have been
given, moreover, the characteristic which is evident from the subsidiary claim.
[0011] A preferred embodiment of the arrangement in accordance with the invention will now
be described in more details with special reference to the enclosed schematic drawings
which only show the details necessary for an understanding of the invention.
Fig. 1 shows schematically in perspective the contours of a packing machine, the path
of the material web through the machine being indicated.
Fig. 2 shows likewise in perspective the part of the packing machine according to
Fig. 1 in which the conversion of the packing material tube to individual packing
containers takes place.
Fig. 3 shows the part of the forming and processing arrangement in Fig. 2 from the
front.
Fig. 4A and B shows the arrangement according to Fig. 3 from the side, the sealing
jaws being shown in different processing positions.
[0012] The packing machine 1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises in its lower, rear part (on the left
in Fig. 1) a magazine wherein a packing material web 2 is located in the form of a
roll 3. The packing material is a conventional packing laminate which comprises a
central carrier of paper, layers of aluminium foil and outside layers of liquid-tight
and heat-sealable plastic material, usually polyethylene. From the magazine the material
web 2 runs via a number of reversing and guide rollers 4 to an upper part of the packing
machine 1 where several processing stages of the web 2 are taking place which are
irrelevant in this context, such as the fitting of the opening arrangements, impression
of crease lines and sterilization. In the upper part of the machine the material web
2 furthermore passes the register-holding device 5 which in known manner picks up
transverse crease lines present in the material web and ensures that the processing
of the material web takes place in register with the said crease lines. After it has
passed the upper part of the machine the packing material web 2 is led in the main
vertically downwards along the front side of the machine (on the right in Fig. 1).
At the same time, with the help of guide rollers (not shown) and a tube-forming device
6 a successive folding over of the material web to tubular shape is carried out. As
this is done, the two longitudinal edge zones of the material web come to overlap
one another, and with the help of a longitudinal joining element arranged on the tube-forming
device 6 (not visible in Fig. 1) the two longitudinal edge zones are joined to each
other so that a material tube 7 with a longitudinal, liquid-tight join is produced.
Whilst being moved continuously downwards through the packing machine 1, the material
tube 7 is filled with the desired contents. At the lower end of the tube a processing
or forming arrangement comprising sealing jaws 8 and forming flaps 9 (Fig. 2-4) is
provided which processes the packing material tube and converts it to filled and closed
packing container blanks 10 which will be described in more detail in the following.
The packing container blanks 10 so formed are separated subsequently from the material
tube 7 and passed down into a final folder 11 located at the front end of the packing
machine 1, where with the help of a conveyor 12 they are conducted past a number of
processing stations in which a final form-processing of the packing container blanks
10 is taking place so that ready-formed, substantially parallelepipedic packing containers
13 can be withdrawn from the packing machine to be conveyed further for packaging
in trays and transporting to the sales points.
[0013] The machine shown in Fig. 1 constitutes merely one example of a preferred type of
machine on which an arrangement in accordance with the invention can be used. Thus
the packing machine 1 may also be of any other general design known previously, and
the path of the packing material web 2 through the machine need not be that shown.
It is essential only that the packing machine should work with packing material in
the form of a coherent web 2, which is converted continuously to a tube 7 and is filled
with contents and form-processed.
[0014] In Fig. 2 is shown on a larger scale a part of the packing machine 1 in accordance
with the invention. The front part of the packing machine 1 comprises an arrangement
for the processing and forming of the material tube 7 moving vertically downwards
through the machine. In the lower part of the packing machine 1 a motor and driving
gear arrangement 14 is provided which drives a main driving shaft 15 extending horizontally
through the machine on which are arranged a number of radial cams. Important for the
arrangement in accordance with the invention are primarily a first radial cam 16 and
a second radial cam 17. As can be seen particularly clearly in Fig. 2 and 3, the machine
in accordance with the invention comprises a left and a right half which are identical
but mirror-inverted. For the sake of clarity, the description will be concerned where
appropriate only with one half of the machine, whilst it is understood that the opposite
half of the machine is designed and works in a similar manner. Thus two sets of the
cams 16, 17 exist, and the arrangement on both sides of the motor and driving gear
14 is such that the first cam 16 is closest to the unit 14 whereas the second cam
17 is situated further out towards the end of the driving shaft 15, as can be seen
clearly in Fig. 2.
[0015] Above as well as below the cams 16,17 arms 18,19 are present which via cam rollers
rest against the cams 16, 17 respectively. More particularly, the arm 18 is arranged
above the first cam 16 and supported at its end so that it can be swivelled about
a swivelling axis running parallel with the main driving shaft 15. The arm 18 is connected
at its free end via a linkage 20 to a first driving rod 21 extending vertically through
the machine which in turn is connected to the forming unit 22 which will be described
in more detail in the following.
[0016] The arm 19 resting against the second cam 17, similarly to the arm 18, is supported
at its end so that it can be swivelled about a swivelling axis extending parallel
with the main driving shaft 15. The arm 19, however, is situated below the second
cam 17, against which it rests via a pulley supported so that it is freely rotatable
in the arm 19. At the front end of the arm 19 (on the left in Fig. 2) the arm 19,
like the arm 18, is connected via a linkage 23 to a driving rod extending vertically
through the machine, namely a second driving rod 24.
[0017] At a little distance from the front ends of the two arms 18, 19 extends a toothed
belt or some other element 25 adapted to take up tension force between an attachment
on the lower arm 19 and a pulley 26 supported on the upper arm 18 so that it can rotate.
From the pulley 26, which serves as a guide pulley for the toothed belt 25, the toothed
belt continues via a further pulley 27 mounted on the upper arm 18 to one end of a
lever 28, to which it is connected via a helical tension spring 29. On the opposite,
mirror-inverted side of the machine there is a similar toothed belt which in turn
is connected via another spring to the other arm of the lever 28. With the help of
the springs 29 and the lever 28 the toothed belt 25 exercizes a compressive force
via the pulleys on the upper lever arm 18 and the attachment in the lower lever arm
19 which presses the two lever arms towards one another so that they rest the whole
time against the cams 16 and 17 respectively. The different movements of the two lever
arms 18, 19 are taken up by the springs 29 and the lever 28, which because of the
alternating manner of operation of the two machine halves will perform a rocking motion.
[0018] The arrangement of holding the two arms 18, 19 in contact against the cams 16 and
17 respectively by spring-loaded elements 25 adapted to take up the tension force
is very space-saving and operationally safe. Only the element taking up the tension
force has to be present in the direct vicinity of the cams and the driving unit, whilst
the spring unit 28, 29 can be placed at some other suitable location in the machine.
In the preferred embodiment the two machine halves operating alternately can be coupled
via different toothed belts to the same spring unit if the same is designed as a rocking
lever 28. This results in further space saving at the same time as the alternating
utilization of the spring devices 29 means that their size can be reduced by approx.
50% at the same time as the spring characteristic is improved because of the shorter
length of the springs.
[0019] As mentioned earlier, the two arms 18, 19 are connected by means of linkages 20 and
23 respectively to the vertical driving rods 21 and 24 respectively. The driving rods
21 and 24 are supported so that they can be moved in vertical direction in plain bearings
30 in the frame of the machine, and the two linkages 20, 23 are designed so that they
transmit free of sideways action the swivelling movement of the two arms 18, 19 to
the driving rods 21, 24. This is made possible with the help of multi-articulated
linkages which are, however, of a conventional type and do not, therefore, have to
be described in detail in this context.
[0020] The two mirror-inverted, alternately operating forming units 22 of the machine, as
mentioned earlier, comprise among other things, sealing jaws 8 and forming flaps 9.
Each forming unit 22, more particularly, comprises a yoke 31 which on its one side
is rigidly connected with the first driving rod 21 and is vertically displaceable
in upward and downward direction with the help of the same. The second driving rod
24 extends through the yoke without being directly connected to the same. On either
side of the two driving rods 21, 24 the yoke is provided with bearing axles 32 for
the two sealing jaws 8. The axles 32 extend at right angles to the driving rods 21,
24 and parallel with the main driving shaft 15 of the machine. The sealing jaws 8
can be swivelled about the axles 32 between an inactive outer or swivelled-out position
and an active, swivelled-in position in which the sealing jaws 8 extend substantially
parallel with the driving rods 21, 24 (Fig. 4). The manoeuvring of the sealing jaws
8, situated in a yoke 31 straight opposite each other, carries a bracket 33. From
the bracket 33 links 34 extend downwards to arms 35 which project from lower parts
of the sealing jaws 8 facing towards one another. As a result of this construction
the sealing jaws 8 remain stationary as long as the first as well as the second driving
rod 21 and 24 respectively are moved uniformly, whilst in the event of any difference
in the movement of the two driving rods 21 and 24 the bracket 33 moves vertically
upwards or downwards in relation to the yoke 31 so that the sealing jaws 8 are swivelled
about the bearing axles 32. The motion pattern of the arrangement will be described
in more detail in the following.
[0021] On the upper parts of the two sealing jaws 8 arms 47 projecting sideways are provided
which are straight opposite and on either side of the material tube 7 extending vertically
through the packing machine. The sides of the arms 47 facing one another support sealing
bars 36 extending transversely in relation to the packing material tube 7 (Fig. 4),
these sealing bars 36 being adapted so that in the active position of the sealing
jaws 8 they press the packing material tube 7 together in a transverse zone. One of
the two co-operating sealing bars 36 has two electric conductors situated at a little
distance from each other, which are adapted so that by heating of the thermoplastic
layers of the packing material they seal together the tube in transverse zones situated
at some distance from one another. The sealing bars 36 are connected in a known manner
to a suitable source of current.
[0022] Between the two conductors of the sealing bar 36 operates a clipping device, not
visible in the Figure, which is activated when the sealing takes place and cuts off
the packing material tube between the two transverse seals. The clipping device is
of known design and is operated hydraulically by means of elements not shown in the
drawing. Furthermore so- called volume flaps (not shown) are provided which affect
the shaping of the packing containers and which are manoeuvred mechanically with the
help of push rods provided in the sealing jaws 8 which are acted upon via a manoeuvring
arm 37 by a cam 38 supported in the frame of the machine when the vertical reciprocating
movement of the sealing jaws is taking place.
[0023] On either side of the sealing bars 36 of the sealing jaws 8 hook-shaped members 39,
40 are provided which in the active position of the sealing jaws 8 are joined to one
another and during the pressing together of the tube and the sealing procedure provide
the necessary strong pressure of the sealing bars 36 against each other. More particularly,
one sealing jaw has a fixed hook-shaped member projecting at a right angle, whereas
the opposite sealing jaw is provided with a hook-shaped member 40 which on the one
hand can be swivelled about an axis extending parallel with the main shaft of the
machine, on the other hand is movable to and fro by means of a piston and cylinder
unit 41 arranged in the sealing jaw. The vertically pivoting movement of the hook-shaped
member 40 is produced with the help of a cam 42 which projects sideways from the bracket
33 mentioned earlier mounted on the second driving rod 24. The connection between
the bracket 33 and the sealing jaw 8 via the links 34 and the arms 35 provides a transmission
which is such that the upwards movement of the second driving rod in relation to the
yoke 31 not only folds out the sealing jaws 8 from the active to the inactive position
but also, via the cam 42, raises the hook-shaped member 40 from its engagement with
the co-operating hook-shaped member 39. As the second driving rod 24 moves downwards
in relation to the yoke 31, a swivelling of the sealing jaws 8 takes place in the
opposite way, namely from the swivelled-out position shown (most closely) in Fig.
4A to the swivelled-in or active position shown in Fig. 4B. At the same time the hook-shaped
member 40 is lifted with the help of the hook cam 42 so that the engagement with the
hook-shaped member 39 can take place without hindrance. After the engagement has been
completed the piston and cylinder unit 41 is activated, as a result of which the hook-shaped
member 40 is pulled back a little, that is to say into the sealing jaw 8 so that the
desired compressive force is produced between the two sealing bars 36. The piston
and cylinder unit 41 is kept activated during the whole sealing and clipping process
and is released just before the swivelling out of the sealing jaws 8 to the inactive
position is started.
[0024] Above the sealing bars 36 of the sealing jaws 8 are the forming flaps 9 mentioned
earlier. Seen from above, the forming flaps 9 are of a substantially U-shaped cross-section,
and together form a rectangular channel whose inside dimensions correspond to the
outside dimensions required for the finished packing container. The two forming flaps
9 are suspended so that they can be swivelled about swivelling axes which are located
a little above the sealing bars 36 and extend parallel with these. At the upper end
of the forming flaps 9 axles with guide pulleys 43 project sideways which, during
the downwards movement of the yoke 31, engage with forming flap cams 44 supported
by the frame of the machine and guide the forming flaps 9 until they rest against
one another from both sides of the packing material tube 7. The forming flaps 9 are
spring-loaded in the direction away from the packing material tube 7 so that when
the yoke 31 carries out its upwards return movement, they will be in a predetermined,
swivelled-out position. The mutual position of the forming flaps, as mentioned earlier,
determines the shape of the finished packing container and therefore also its volume.
Consequently an adjustment of volume can be carried out by sideways displacement of
the forming flap cams 44, and these are suspended therefore so that they can be swivelled
in the frame of the machine, and are manoeuvrable in direction towards, or away from,
each other by means of handwheels 45 for the adjustment of the volume of the packing
containers.
[0025] During the operation of the machine, as mentioned earlier, the packing material web
2 is supplied in the form of a material roll 3 which is introduced into the rear end
of the machine. From the material roll 3 the material web 2 runs past a number of
reversing and guide rollers 4 and the register-holding device 5, which guide the web
and ensure that the crease-line pattern or printed pattern of the web is in the correct
position in relation to the processing operations which are carried out in the machine.
The processing operations are partially of a conventional kind, such as e.g. the fitting
of opening arrangements, printing of the date and forming and cutting off of finished
packing containers. After the material web 2 has reached the front upper part of the
packing machine (on the right in Fig.1) the web is conducted in the main vertically
downwards whilst is is converted at the same time by the tube forming device 6 to
a tube with overlapping longitudinal edges. The two longitudinal edges are sealed
by means of a sealing device situated on the tube-forming device 6 so that the material
tube 7 will be sealed in a completely liquid-tight manner. The ready-formed material
tube 7 then continues further downwards to the part of the machine which processes
the material tube and converts it into individual, filled packing containers. After
the packing material tube 7 has passed a pair of co-operating guide rollers 46 which
are on a level with the surface of the liquid column inside the packing material tube,
the material tube comes into contact with one of the two forming units 22, which alternately
process the tube. More particularly, one of the forming units 22, after is has been
moved with the help of the first driving rod 21 to its upper dead centre position
(on the left in Fig.3), will press together the packing material tube 7 in a transverse
zone with the help of the sealing bars 36 of the sealing jaws. The vertical driving
of the sealing jaws 8 is done by means of the first driving rod 21 which is rigidly
connected to the yoke 31 and displaces the same in a reciprocating vertical movement
whereby the sealing jaws 8 as well as the other parts joined to the yoke are moved.
With the help of the second driving rod 24 the sealing jaws 8 are given a swivelling
movement between their open, swivelled-out end position and the closed active position
(Fig.4). Since the driving rod 24 is connected via the bracket 33, the links 34 and
the projecting arms 35 of the sealing jaws 8 to the sealing jaws, a transverse pivoting
movement will be imparted to them whenever the driving rods 21, 24 move unequally.
Thus the sealing jaws 8 are moved from their inactive position to their active position
owing to the second driving rod 24 being given a downwards directed movement relatively
to the first driving rod 21 whilst the forming unit 22 is in its upper dead centre
position, this movement swivelling the arms 35 of the sealing jaws 8 downwards via
the links 34 until the sealing bars 36 are pressed against each other from both sides
of the material tube 7.
[0026] Putting it another way it can be said that the swivelling movement of the two sealing
jaws 8 is brought about because the second driving rod 24 coupled to the sealing jaws
performs not only the same reciprocating movement as the driving rod 21 but also has
a similar, reciprocating movement superimposed upon this movement. The resulting difference
in movement between the two driving rods regulates the transverse movement of the
sealing jaws so that during the greater part of their downwards movement they are
in folded-in active position, so as to be during the greater part of their upwards
movement in folded-out, inactive position.
[0027] When the sealing jaws 8 are swivelled to their active position, the hook-shaped member
40 is lifted with the help of the hook cam 42 (described earlier) fitted on the bracket
33, so that the hook-shaped member 40 in the active position of the jaws engages the
hook-shaped member 39. Immediately after the engagement, the piston and cylinder unit
41 connected to the hook-shaped member 40 is activated through the supply of hydraulic
fluid so that the hook-shaped member is pulled backwards, that is to say into the
sealing jaw 8, which causes a predetermined, correct contact pressure between the
two sealing bars 36. The relatively high pressure required is thus taken up wholly
by the hook-shaped members 39, 40 which largely relieve the sealing jaws 8 and their
mounting. This is advantageous for the construction as well as for operational safety.
The tension force of the hooks 39, 40 is maintained during the downward movement of
the yoke 31 so that the sealing jaws are pressed together with a predetermined contact
pressure during a certain part of the time they are in closed position. In this way
it is ensured that any contents present in the sealing zone are completely forced
out, whilst promoting at the same time a good contact between the laminate surfaces
which are to be sealed together and a satisfactory heat transfer.
[0028] After the yoke 31 has left its upper dead centre position the two forming flaps 9
with their guide pulleys 43 will run into the forming flap cam 44 which, against the
effect of the spring force of the forming flaps, causes the forming flaps to be moved
so that they lie against each other and convert the part of the packing material tube
7 located between the flaps to a mainly rectangular cross-sectional shape which corresponds
to the desired cross-sectional shape of the ready-formed package. The position of
the forming flaps 9 and the compressive force can be regulated by sideways movement
of the forming cams 44 which is done with the help of the volume handwheel arranged
at the upper point of suspension of the cams 45.
[0029] After the yoke 31 with the help of the first driving rod 21 has been moved downwards
a certain distance the manoeuvring arm 37 for the volume flap (not shown in the drawing)
comes into contact with the cam 38 fitted in the frame which results in the volume
flap being urged into its desired position. At the same time the hydraulic cylinder
for the cutting device is activated, which causes it to cut off the material in the
compressed area between the two seals produced by the sealing bars.
[0030] At the same time as the forming unit 22, as described, is moved downwards whilst
drawing forth and sealing the packing material tube 7, the opposite, mirror-inverted
forming unit 22 moves upwards. Owing to an appropriate positional relationship between
the two driving rods 21, 24 it is ensured, moreover, that the sealing jaws 8 are in
folded-out position, so that the projecting arms 47 of the sealing jaws can pass unhindered
outside the activated arms 47 on the opposite forming unit which move downwards at
the same time.
[0031] When the forming unit 22 in question approaches its lower dead centre position the
hydraulic fluid supply to the piston and cylinder unit 41 is shut off so that the
tension force of the hooked member 40 ends and the compressive force between the two
sealing bars 36 eases. Through manoeuvring of the second driving rod 24 and moving
it in upward direction in relation to the first driving rod 21, the bracket 33 and
the hook cam 42 connected to it are lifted, which means that the hook-shaped member
40 is released from engagement with the hook-shaped member 39 at the same time as
the swivelling out of the sealing jaws from the active to the inactive position commences.
At the same instant the guide pulleys 43 of the two forming flaps 9 also have left
the lower end of the forming flap cam 44, and the forming flaps 9, because of their
spring-loading, have been moved to their swivelled-out outward-directed position.
When the sealing jaws 8 have attained their swivelled-out inactive position, the relative
movement between the two driving rods 21, 24 ends and they start at the same time
to be moved upwards, which means that the forming unit 22 with the sealing jaws 8
in swivelled-out position is moved upwards. The arms 47, as mentioned earlier, can
pass without hindrance the active, downwards moving arms 47 of the opposite forming
unit 22.
[0032] The procedure described is repeated continuously during the operation of the machine
and the two forming units alternately process and draw forth the packing material
tube 7. When the sealing jaws 8 at the lower end of the working stroke of the forming
unit opens and releases the packing material tube, the newly formed packing container
blank 10 drops down under its own weight to the final folder 11 where the corners
of the substantially cushion- shaped blank are folded in so that parallelepipedic
packing containers 13 are produced.
[0033] The design of the sealing bars 36 can be varied depending on the type of packing
material used. Usually a packing material of the laminate type is used, which comprises
layers of fibrous material, usually paper, and thermoplastic outer layers. Given this
type of material, the sealing bars 36 appropriately comprise electric resistance wires
which during the sealing are connected to a source of current. In the manufacture
of aseptic packing containers, that is to say packing containers for sterile contents
with long keeping properties, a packing laminate is used which beside layers of papers
and thermoplastics also comprises layers of metal foil. In the case of such material
the sealing bars 36 may include an electric conductor in the working surface which
can be connected to an electric a.c. source. During sealing a magnetic field is induced
in the metal foil of the packing laminate straight opposite the sealing bars. This
magnetic field, because of losses arising in the aluminium foil, heats the foil as
well as the adjoining thermoplastic layer so that they are heat-sealed to one another.
[0034] The arrangement in accordance with the invention makes it possible to carry out within
a very limited space the processing and the conversion of the packing material tube
filled with contents. Thanks to the absence of external links for the transmission
of power and motion to the forming units these can be given a very compact design.
The absence of complicated linkage arrangement in the forming area is a further important
advantage especially in aseptic machines, since the necessary, frequently occurring
rinsing and cleaning operations of the forming units can be carried out without exposing
the driving unit and the bearings and points of lubrication of the same to cleaning
agents.
[0035] Since the whole driving unit is outside the so- called rinsing zone, a long life
combined with a low consumption of lubricant is assured.
[0036] Through the utilization of the vertical driving rods both as guides for the control
of the movement of the forming units and as rods for the transmission of the drive
the design is made particularly simple and operationally safe compared with similar
arrangements known previously.